Written for dVerse where today De is tending bar, asking us to write a quadrille (poem of 44 words; no more, no less) relating to or using the word “shadow.” Last week in Provincetown, I volunteered to sit for a portrait session on the beach. Little did I know these were students of Cedric Egeli, one of America’s foremost portrait artists. The second photo shows him critiquing his students. Plein air refers to painting out doors.

I learned so much listening to them talk….and then to hear the critique from the master…quietly speaking, pointing at me, then at their canvas. Really a wonderful experience and yes…..our words are our brush strokes, right?

Once upon a time, I used brushes, pencils & charcoal–npow I work with my digital camera, finding shadowplay in every direction. Sometimes when the light & shadow are resistant to perfection, I use a tad of photo shop to improve contrast.

It really is all about the shadows, right? I’d love to see some of your charcoal drawings…I find art in charcoal quite amazing: so many shades of black to white……smudging, blending, crashing lines, jabbing, lilting…

I found it interesting to hear them talk — and to hear the critique of the teacher — pointing out that the sands reflect the light upwards and across my face while the sky reflects the light downward. I’d never thought of that.

My husband, who sat on our deck and watched the process from behind the artist’s shoulders, thus seeing a blank canvas change…was most amazed to see them first sketch/draw shapes — ovals, squares on squares…and then begin to fill in, to scrape off, to create the image…

What a wonderful opportunity, Lillian. When you mentioned to me earlier that you were going to be sitting for a portrait, I had no idea that it was for students of a well-known artist! Your words speak of the process of painting so well and capturing the subtleties of shadows and light.

I only found out the teacher was a famous artist the evening after the sitting, while strolling the art galleries of Provincetown and going into his son’s gallery/studio (who is also an artist). He showed me a book about his father and then I googled him. I just thought I was sitting for some people who’d come to the beach to pain their passon. 🙂